The Power of Three: The sight
by Storm-Eyes-Osprey
Summary: We know the warriors, now experience them as you have never seen them before... as humans. An ominous prophecy hangs over the children of Squirrel and Bramble, Jay, Lion and Holly. Follow their footsteps as they forge the paths of their lives as members of Thunderclan, learning to fight, hunt, love and fit in. but fitting in is hard when you are part of the prophecy of three...
1. prologue

**Yes… I know what you're thinking! 'Another Fanfiction Stormy?!' Well, yes, I'm thinking the same thing, but, what can I say? I love warriors! Now, this Information is IMPORTANT so please read it, and don't just skip through. Right… This fanfiction follows the events of 'The Sight', the first book in the Power of three story arc, but, in this, the warrior cats are humans, living in a 'camp' (a house) for each clan, facing off into their chosen territory. Though they live amongst regular civilization, their code tells them to scorn the comfortable life of a regular human, so they only rely on their 'camp' for shelter, then spend the rest of the day in their territory, sometimes hunting, training, patrolling or, in desperate measures, fighting over territory. Each clan has certain traits, and they use them to their advantage, however, there are sometimes disputes over hunting rights or territory, which can lead to battles. There is a healer for each clan, who relies on natural remedies to treat their patients, however, in drastic matters, they may organise a raid on pharmacists, in an attempt to obtain stronger medicines. Each month, there is a gathering of the clans, which takes place on an island in the middle of the central lake. Below is a guide to the jobs taken on by each ranking:**

**Leader: Makes decisions for the clan, handles matters involving other humans.**

**Deputy: Assists the leader and organises patrols.**

**Healer: Treats the ill and wounded. Works from natural remedies.**

**Warrior: The lifeblood of the clan. Fights, hunts and occasionally take raids on the human areas for food, clothing, medicine and weapons. **

**Apprentice: in training to become a warrior. Tends to train with a warrior which specializes in the same weapon and hunting tools as them (e.g: Bow and arrows, Dagger, Knife e.t.c) Also takes on jobs around the 'camp', cleaning, sometimes cooking, making sure the elders are comfortable. They start training when they are nine years old, and become warriors when they are sixteen. They take school lessons three days a week.**

**Mothers: Warriors who have children or are pregnant. Share the care of children.**

**Children: People under nine years old. As they get older, they take more responsibility, and are often responsible for minor jobs around the 'camp'.**

**Elders: When a warrior decides they are too old to hunt or fight, they may retire to become an elder.**

**I hope this helps, now, on with the alliances! (I'm only doing Thunderclan for now!)**

Leader: Flame: Tall male with ginger hair and bright green eyes.

Deputy: Bramble: Tall male with shaggy brown hair and strange, yellowish-brown eyes.

Healer: Leaf: Small female with shoulder-length brown hair.

Warriors:

Dust: Brown haired male

Sandy: Tall, fast female with short, pale ginger hair.

Cloud: a sarcastic male with very pale blonde hair, almost white.

Bracken: male with ginger hair

Thorn: Tall male with dirty blonde hair.

Light: Ginger-haired female with facial scarring after she was mauled by dogs. Wears a patch over her eye.

Ash: Male with greyish-black hair and striking blue eyes.

Sorrel: Female with brownish-ginger hair and hazel eyes.

Spider: Extremely tall male with black hair and hazel eyes.

Brooke: Short female with mousy brown hair (formerly of the tribe of rushing water, another group in the mountains.)

Storm: Tall male with grey-black hair and yellowish-brown eyes. (formerly of the tribe of rushing water)

Snow: Female with almost white hair and startlingly green eyes.

Birch: Male with light brown hair.

Apprentices:

Berry: Annoying male with blonde hair. (mentor: Bramble)

Hazel: a short female with unusual, silvery grey hair. (mentor: Dust)

Mouse: Male with the same silvery hair as Hazel. (mentor: Spider)

Cinder: A small female with long, dark, greyish-black hair. (mentor: Cloud)

Honey: Small female with blonde hair. (mentor: Sandy)

Poppy: female with long, ginger-brown hair. (mentor: Thorn)

Mothers and Children:

Fern: Female with blackish-grey hair and green eyes. (Children: Fox: male with shockingly ginger hair. Ice: Female with white-blonde hair and icy blue eyes.)

Daisy: Short female with long, dirty blonde hair. Formerly lived on a farm, but joined the clan after her children were to be forced into foster care.

Squirrel: Tall female with short ginger hair and green eyes. (Children: Lion: Male with brown eyes and pale blonde-ginger hair. Holly: Tall female with long, raven black hair and dark green eyes. Jay: Tall male with greyish, shaggy hair and blind, ice blue eyes.)

Elders:

Dusky: Old female with mousy brown hair, streaked with grey.

Flint: Male with dirty blonde hair and blind blue eyes. Retired early due to failing sight.

**Alliances done, now for the prologue!**

Sweeping his hair from his eyes, Flame hauled himself up the steep gorge path, wincing slightly at the sensation of the stones digging into his hands. Pulling his jacket around himself to keep out the cold, he staggered to his feet, and called out into the night air.

"Sky?" he called out, the name drifting away into the air.

"Sky, where are you?!" A sudden, hoarse voice replied, the answer almost torn away in the wind, however, Flame glanced around, and caught sight of the grey-haired man he was looking for, perched on a boulder, eyes staring off into the distance.

"You called me?" Prompted Flame, and Sky turned his head, icy blue eyes unnerving the Thunderclan leader slightly.

"Yes. Yes, I did." The old man's voice was hoarse with age as he spoke, and Flame began to doubt whether he should be outside at night. Shaking his head slightly, Flame settled down on the boulder next to Sky, and waited for the wise old man to speak. Sky, smiling gently, moved his hand and clasped it around Flame's, the ginger-haired man flinching at the skeletal coldness of his fingers.

"I want to thank you, for rebuilding Skyclan." Flame ducked his head, and smiled lightly.

"I only did what was needed." He replied modestly, and Sky shook his head, a creaking laugh rising in his throat.

"Nonsense! You rebuilt the lost clan. It would have taken a true leader to do that." Flame looked to the side at the old man's praise, but snapped his head back as Sky asked another question which startled him.

"Do you think that you lead Thunderclan well?" Flame looked downwards thoughtfully, then replied.

"It has been difficult, but I try to make the right decisions." Sky blinked his eyes at the leader, the moon reflecting off their glassy surface.

"I agree to that, but how far would you be willing to go?" Confusion clouded the Thunderclan leader's mind, and he looked towards Sky, who was now staring at the stars.

"Difficult times are ahead, Flame." He began, rising stiffly to his feet.

"Your loyalty will be tested to the limits, and you will meet people with the power to change destiny with a wave of their hand." Flame whipped his head around to stare directly at Sky, however his gaze was blank, staring at something behind the younger man. When he spoke again, gone was the hoarse, aged voice speaking before, and a new voice spoke, an ancient, smooth tone, as timeless as the stars themselves.

"_There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their handss…" _Flame stared at the male as he spoke, then looked away, and when he turned back, Sky was gone, words of farewell ringing in his ears…

OoO

Flame jolted awake, nails digging into the edge of his rollmat, forehead beaded with sweat, eyes wild. He let out a gasp of relief, and let the tension fade from his hands, the nightmare however, still haunting his mind. Weak morning sunlight filtered through the green-tinted windows of the leader's room, which opened up to give a view of the room in which the warriors slept. The peaceful sound of breathing filled the room, however the leader could not relax. Not with the prophecy hanging over him. He caught sight of his daughter, Squirrel, curled up in the corner of the den, Flame's deputy, Bramble's arm thrown protectively around her. Dread weighted heavily in Flame's chest. The prophecy still lay fresh in his mind, and he shuddered.

_Pray that I am wrong…_ the ginger-haired leader curled his arms protectively around himself, and shrunk into the furthest corner of his room. He tried to deny it, but he knew, deep down that it was true.

_The Three have come…_

**How did I do? Please read, review, follow and favourite! **

**Storm signing out!**


	2. Chapter 1

Leaves brushed against Jay's face, cold and wet with the texture of frost. Snow crunched softly under his feet, and a cold wind whipped uncomfortably around him, ruffling his hair and freezing against his skin. Voices sounded ahead of him, and he stumbled forwards, feet catching on something, sending him tumbling to the floor. He let out a surprised exclamation and called out, however no-one came to help, and he was left, stranded, floundering in the snow…

"You'll never catch it!" a voice splintered into Jay's dream, and he sat bolt upright, sighing as he realized that the snow was just a dream. He brushed his hair from his ears, and listened carefully. He could hear the thuds and laughs of his brother and sister, deeply immersed in some sort of game, and, underneath that, he could hear Fern whispering soothing words to her two children, Fox and Ice. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps thudding towards him, and something tackled the young boy, causing him to let out a squeal.

"Hey! Watch out!" he exclaimed, and he heard the mischievous laugh of his sister Holly.

"_Finally_ you're awake!" she exclaimed, before letting out an 'oohing' sound, and springing away from Jay. The boy felt something hard and cold thud into his side, and he looked around wildly.

"Sorry!" Lion's exclamation came from the other side of the nursery room, and Jay swivelled his head towards the sound, and reached his hand out, catching the thing that had hit him. He slid his hands over it, taking in its cold texture and spherical shape.

"A ball?" he questioned.

"But I thought-" Holly interrupted him, excitement clear in her voice.

"Cloud and his patrol came back with it this morning! Isn't that great?!" Jay nodded furiously, and reached out, curling his fingers around the smooth stick he used to guide his footsteps. Using it as a lever-point, he staggered to his feet, and glanced in the general direction of Lion.

"Catch!" he called out, hurling the ball. He heard the satisfying sound of the ball hitting Lion's hands. Lion threw it to Holly, who caught it and shouted out to Jay.

"Catch this, Jay!" The boy scrambled to the side, and let out an irritated sound as the ball whizzed past his ear, ruffling his hair as it went.

"Slowslug!" teased Lion, before darting to the side.

"I'll get it!" He called out, and Jay narrowed his eyes, and also ran forwards. He may be blind, but he could still run. Suddenly Holly let out a warning, and Jay felt his foot snag on the loose floorboard in the middle of the room. He stumbled forwards, and crashed to the ground, and braced himself for a hard impact, but landed on something soft and warm.

Something alive.

"Get off!" Fern's annoyed voice greeted him, and a pair of firm hands pushed him away. The squeals of Fox and Ice alerted him to what he had landed on.

"Did I hurt them?" He asked hesitantly, backing away. He heard Fern sigh, and he could almost picture the weary expression on his face.

"Of course not! Your too skinny to squash a mouse!" Fern's scathing comments on Jay's size irritated him, but he still apologised.

"Sorry Fern." He echoed dully, looking away as the irritated mother shooed him away.

"You three are getting too rough for the nursery!" Jay looked guiltily away and scrambled to his feet, swaying slightly as he regained his sense of balance.

"It's about time Flame made you three apprentices…" Fern pondered to herself, and Jay felt a rush of excitement at the mention of becoming an apprentice.

"If only…" Jay heard Lion's grumpy pout, then listen as Holly reassured him.

"It can't be long. We're almost nine." She commented. The surge of excitement inside Jay intensified, but he could tell without even seeing her that Fern was looking at him in pity. He let a scowl slide onto his features, and he turned away, arms folded. Fern, obviously noticing his discomfort, suggested gently that the three went and played outside.

"Yes, Fern!" Chorused Holly and Lion in synchrony, but Jay merely gave a noncommittal grunt, before bending over and skimming the floor with his hands to locate his stick. His fingers collided with the smooth wood, and he clasped it close, hauling upright again.

"Come on, Jay. Bring the ball, will you?" Holly's voice sounded from somewhere near the door, and Jay located the ball, holding it carefully, not wanting to damage such a valuable possession. With that, he ran towards the door to the nursery, stick extended in front of him to warn him of obstacles. Once he was out of the nursery, Jay's senses seemed to explode into life, and he darted after his brother and sister, swinging around the banister and thundering down the stairs, earning annoyed shouts from some clanmates as they skidded wildly past.

"Last one's a slowslug!" Shouted Lion, and Jay let out a whoop before speeding up, his stick thudding on the stairs behind him.

"Watch out!" Sandy's voice called after the three children as they rushed past, sending her flattened against the wall. Holly merely laughed, and Jay grinned to hear her voice behind him. The three burst outside in a tumble of limbs, sprawling out madly onto the lawn as they forgot about the step by the door and were sent head over heels, giggling madly onto the grass. Jay grinned and flopped backwards, taking in the sounds and smells of the garden. He could hear the murmur of Flame and Dust talking about something inaudible, so he turned his attention to where Cloud and Light were talking amongst themselves. A sudden rush of cold wind swept across the garden, and Jay pulled his arms around himself, wishing he had bothered to pull on his jacket before he left. He reminded himself that winter was always hard, however a tiny voice spoke in the back of his mind, unsettling him.

_Life is always hard… _Jay clenched his fists warily, but he knew it was true. Two clanmates had died in his lifetime, first one of Sorrel's children, who had died of a cough that didn't respond even to city-medicine, and then Rain, who was struck down by a heavy branch whilst he was hunting during a vicious storm. He clenched his fingers tighter around the ball, and didn't realise that Light had walked over to him, so her voice startled him.

"How are you today, Jay?" The boy pouted and frowned.

"Fine, of course." He huffed moodily. Why did Light have to make such a fuss of him? He had only been sleeping inside, not running a raid on Shadowclan land! Eager to show that he was just as strong as his siblings, Jay leapt up explosively and hurled the ball over Holly and Lion's heads. The two children scrambled over one another to catch their prize, but it sailed past them, and thudded to a rest as the feet of a tall woman with shocking ginger hair, who looked scornfully at the three children.

Squirrel. Their mother.

"What are you three up to now?" she crouched over to look at the ball, which was now smeared with mud and grass.

"You should be more respectful of your toys." She stated, brushing dirt from its surface. Daisy, who stood next to her, chuckled softly.

"Kids will be Kids." The female shrugged, and Squirrel sighed. Jay twitched his nose at Daisy's strange terms and accent. She used to live on a farm on the outskirts of clan land, and retained some of her habits.

"They won't be children for much longer, though." Pouted Squirrel, but Daisy laughed.

"All the more reason to let them enjoy it them!" Jay grinned at the blonde-haired female, then scowled at Squirrel. Daisy had been more of a mother to the three siblings than the independent ginger had ever been. The warrior had insisted on returning to her duties almost as soon as she had recovered from the birth, leaving her three children in the care of the other mothers.

"Fine. I need to go. Bramble wanted me to help him check the fence in the garden at the back for loose poles."

"Loose poles?" Daisy questioned, and Jay could picture an expression of confusion on her face.

"It's good to have solid defences." Quoted Squirrel, before the boy heard footsteps leave the area. Jay leant on his stick, an expression of annoyance on his face. Suddenly, a thunder of footsteps paraded into the garden, heralded by the excited voices of Hazel and Mouse as the two apprentices burst forwards.

"Great job, Hazel!" Dust's praise rang in the air, as he spotted his apprentice, who Jay had guessed had been out hunting.

"Mouse did most of the work." Added Hazel modestly, and Jay noticed how a hint of Daisy's accent seemed to have passed to the two teenagers.

"You both did well." Jay listened to Dust's conversation with the two, but a rush of wind swept past him, and he staggered into Holly, who giggled at him.

"Are you playing or not?" she demanded, and Jay grinned.

"Of course!" he stated, and Holly directed his body in a certain direction.

"Lion has the ball and won't let us have it." She stated. The young, dark haired boy smirked mischievously.

"Let's get him!" Jay hurled himself towards Lion and swiped at his legs with his stick, tripping him, whilst Holly prised the ball from his fingers.

"Hey! No fair!" Pouted Lion, snatching feebly at the ball. Holly smirked.

"We don't _have_ to be fair! We're not with our ancestors yet!"

"And you never will be if you don't respect your things!" Holly groaned at the voice of Storm.

"Not you too!" Sighed Jay, throwing his head back dramatically.

"Warriors go to great trouble to get these little playthings for you, so I'd look after them!" Stated Storm sternly, glaring at the three children.

"We were just practicing!" Complained the dark haired girl, crossing her arms grumpily. Storm looked unconvinced, and Lion wriggled out from underneath Jay.

"We _have_ to practice!" he moaned.

"Yeah, we'll be apprentices soon!" Storm was silent for a while, then Jay felt a hand ruffle through his hair. He ducked out of the way, grumbling angrily, much to the amusement of his siblings.

"Of course, I was forgetting." Murmured the warrior. Jay glared at him. He wasn't even Thunderclan! Just because Flame's old deputy, Grey, was his father, it didn't mean he got to act superior!

"I'm starving! Can we get something to eat?!" Holly snorted at Lion's sudden proclamation.

"Do you think of _anything _other than your stomach?!" Lion stuck his tongue out cheekily, and prepared to go back in the house, but the sound of Spider and Thorn bursting into the clearing interrupted him. The two warriors were out of breath and panting, but their eyes were wild, and Flame sprung upright.

"What's wrong?!" he demanded, and Thorn regained his breath first, gasping out his news.

"C-c-city dwellers! In the forest!"

**And the first proper chapter is done! Hope you enjoyed, and please review! **


	3. Chapter 2

"Where?" Flame's voice was tense as he questioned the two warriors, and Jay couldn't help but visualise him, fists clenched, eyes wild with feral light. Spider took another gasping breath.

"By the Sky oak." He eventually reported. Jay whipped his head around as he heard the sound of a gate slamming, and the anxious voice of Bramble entered the scene.

"What's going on?" he asked, and Flame informed the deputy of the happenings.

"Thorn and Spider found City-dwellers by the Sky oak." The two warriors nodded furiously.

"They parked their vehicle by the tree and started putting up these flapping green dens." Thorn added.

"What harm can a couple of stupid City-dwellers do?" questioned the boy as he heard the anxiety in the warrior's voices.

"They'll scare away all the animals! They go stomping around, thinking it's alright to just throw their litter around and shout all they want because they get all their food out of packets!" Muttered Holly through gritted teeth, the words hissing and harsh. By now, most of the clan members had heard the news, and had gathered in the garden, calling out opinions and murmuring anxiously amongst themselves.

"We can't just let City-dwellers overrun the forest! We'll have no food!" Fern shouted out, worry clear in her voice.

"We must drive them out!" Called out Bramble, and cheers of agreement rose into the frosty air, rousing clan-cries, designed to raise the spirits.

"Bramble is right. They mustn't settle in the territory!" More cheers. This time, Jay joined in, lifting his stick into the air to make his presence known.

"Bramble, organise a patrol to talk to the City-dwellers. If they refuse, you all have your weapons." Flame gave his orders, and Jay listened intently as the deputy began to round up clanmates to join the patrol.

"Can we go?" Jay heard the voices of Mouse and Poppy, and felt excitement snap inside of him as Bramble agreed.

_If apprentices can go, then maybe we can!_ Hearing footsteps thunder away, Jay felt his hands itch in frustration.

_I may be small, but I can fight!_ Suddenly, Lion, voicing his brother's thoughts, spoke up.

"We're not getting left behind! Bramble!"

"What?" The deputy's voice was snappy and impatient, but Lion was unfazed, and stated loudly;

"_We_ want to help!" He exclaimed.

"We're almost apprentices!" Bramble's reply was sharp and scorning.

"_Nearly_ isn't enough!" Lion gave a small, sad sigh, and three's father's voice softened.

"How about you guard the camp? We don't want the City-dwellers coming near the house." The brown-eyed boy seemed convinced and bounced back over to his siblings with a spring in his step.

"Bramble wants us to guard the house!" He announced proudly. At that news, Jay snorted mockingly.

"You never learn, do you?! 'Guard the camp' is basically Bramble telling us to stop getting under his feet!" Jay heard a heavy bump, and guessed that his brother had slumped to the ground.

"I thought he wanted us to help…" He pouted, a childishly disappointed tone to his voice.

"Well, you never know! They might come close to the house! We could alert everyone and chase them off!" Jay moaned dramatically at Holly's statement.

"You're just as bad as Bramble!" He snapped harshly.

"Stop trying to pretend that we're useful to the clan when we're not!" Holly let out an irritated breath and folded her arms, tossing her raven hair over her shoulder.

"We will be important someday, though." She vowed, and Lion suddenly sprung to his feet, voice filled with excitement.

"We'll be important _today_!" He declared, word brimming with determination.

"We'll go and chase the City-dwellers off the territory ourselves!" Holly gasped, horrified.

"We couldn't! We'd be breaking the code in so many ways!" Lion laughed.

"How?! It's for the good of the clan, and if that's against the code, I'm a rabbit!" Holly still seemed uncertain, so Jay called out his own idea.

"Anyway, we're not even _apprentices_ yet, never mind warriors! We don't have to follow the code just yet!" Holly gave a chuckle.

"I'm convinced!" Her two brothers grinned widely, and threw their arms around her shoulders.

"There's my sister!" Laughed Lion, pulling gently on her hair, whilst Jay smiled at her indignant exclamation.

"Anyway, I say we sneak into the house, grab something out of the weapons cupboard, then we go out the back way into the forest." Jay stated his plan, and Holly nodded.

"Sounds good. Weapons?" Jay smirked and walked towards the house, stick extended in front of him. He ducked into the doorway, and headed towards the cupboard under the stairs, and threw open the doors, chuckling at the awed gasps from his siblings. Reaching in, he skimmed his fingers over the blades of daggers, before deciding on a suitable one and snatching it up and slotting it into his pocket. He waited until his siblings had made their choice of weapon, and began to creep towards the back of the house, running out of the door, along the fence, then, using his stick, vaulting himself over the wood. Hearing a thud, he grinned.

"Now what?" Questioned Lion, glancing around. Trees bent over branches spreading out like fingers in a lattice across the sky, and the air was thick with the silence of winter.

"We should stay away from the main paths, so nobody sees us." Jay raised one eyebrow at Holly's suggestion.

"That would help if we knew where the main paths were."

"We follow the least down-trodden ways." Inputted Lion, and Jay nodded, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration as he swept his stick in a wide arc in front of him.

"That way." He stated simply, pointing in the direction where the undergrowth was thicker.

"How do we know that it leads to the sky oak, though?" Jay smirked.

"The oak is near the lake, and the air is cooler in the direction of the water." He informed, and his siblings seemed impressed. Giving a light tilt of his head, he signalled for them to move.

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Stupid brambles!" Exclaimed Holly, pulling a thorny tendril from her hair.

"This had better be the right way, Jay!" The raven-haired girl threatened, and Jay scowled, Hacking and the thorns around his feet with his stick. Suddenly, Lion, who was walking ahead, let out a gasp.

"Guys, I can see it!" Jay looked up sharply.

"Where?" he demanded, and then waited, but nothing happened.

"If you're pointing at it, I'm blind, in case you haven't noticed." Lion looked guilty, and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, directing him so he was facing the tree. Holly stood up on her tiptoes and peered around, then gave an excited exclamation.

"I can see the vehicle!" Lion also strained upwards, and laughed.

"Me too! Jay, it's huge! It's big and black, and the City-dwellers are sitting near it." Jay grinned.

"Great! Can one of you go ahead and see if there is a way to get to it?" Holly opened her mouth to speak, but lion interrupted.

"I'll go. Holly, I can run faster than you at the minute." He gestured towards his sisters legs, which were cut by the brambles, then motioned towards his own, which were protected by his jeans. Holly nodded, slightly regretfully, and Lion raced away, his heavy footsteps ringing in Jay's ears. Listening closely, Jay narrowed his eyes at the sound of something coming from the vehicle. It was a loud, angry noise, with a thrumming beat that agitated his ears. Clamping his hands over them, he turned to Holly.

"Can you hear that?" He asked, and Holly nodded.

"It's some weird City-dweller music. Berry brought some back from the City and let me listen to it." Jay gave her an agitated scowl at the mention of the arrogant teenager.

"I didn't like it, obviously." Snorted Holly, and Jay laughed, but spun around as Lion emerged, panting, through the trees.

"There's these thick bushes all around. I can't get under them, I'm not small enough." Jay narrowed his eyes again in thought.

"I'm the smallest out of you three. I'll go, get their attention, and lead them into the trees." The boy scowled as there was silence.

"You think I can't do it, don't you?!" He raised his voice, hand flying to the pocket where his dagger was.

"No! It's just… how will you get their attention?" Jay knew that Holly was merely trying to cover her mistake, so snapped back a quick reply and darted away before any of them could stop him. Using his stick to slice away any brambles, he ran towards the music, flattening himself on the ground and slithering forwards on his stomach, chin brushing the ground as he wriggled into place under the bush. He could hear the sounds of raucous laughter from the City-dwellers, and vowed darkly to stop their enjoyment. Searching the ground with his fingers, he grinned as they brushed against a thick, short twig, fallen from the bush. Training his aim on the direction of the music, and hurled the twig. He cursed under his breath as it bounced off the side of the vehicle, clattering uselessly to the ground. Searching again, his hand closed around something cold and heavy. A rock. Aiming upwards this time, Jay pulled back his arm forcefully and let the rock fly. He grinned as there was the satisfying sound of splintering glass, and the music cut off abruptly. The City-dwellers leapt up, yelling amongst themselves. Jay heard Lion snort as one of them, with a deep, rough voice, started swearing loudly, stamping around on the ground. Jay also let out a chuckle, then froze as his sibling's amusement faded.

"Jay, move back. Slowly." Holly's voice hissed somewhere behind him, and he widened his eyes in shock.

He had been seen.

Grabbing his stick and whipping out his dagger, Jay scrambled out from under the bush, and screamed as the rough-voiced City-dweller let out a shout and footsteps thudded towards him. Turning on his heel, Jay raced off into the trees, breath rasping fearfully in his throat, heart jumping every time his foot snagged on a tree root or bramble. A hand suddenly grasped his arm, and he lashed out blindly with the dagger, gasping in dismay as it clattered from his grasp. Suddenly, the city-dweller gave a grunt, and let go of his captive, and Jay heard Lion shout out.

"RUN! Run, Jay!" Heeding his sibling's advice, the boy gathered his stick close to him and raced away, but the footsteps thrumming in the ground persisted. Suddenly, he heard voices.

_Camp!_

The word was magical in his mind, and he shouldered open the gate, Ash letting out a shocked exclamation as he stumbled into the garden, a City-dweller hot on his heels. The man wasn't giving up, and snatched out at the boy he was chasing, but Jay was ready this time, and slapped him over the wrist with his stick, however, in doing so, he stumbled, tripped, and backed up against the wall. Heart fluttering, Jay grasped out, closing his hands over the drainpipe, and hauling himself upwards, stick pressed close to his chest. The angry shouts of warriors could be heard below him, but he continued, arms aching, breath heavy and rasping. The wind whistled past his ears, hair fluttering in the icy breeze, and, despite being unable to see the ground disappearing below him, he was petrified, Suddenly, a splintering scream rose in his throat as the pipe gave a vicious sway and broke away from the wall. Air rushing around him, arms flailing, grasping for branches that weren't there, a few, panicked words flashed through his mind.

_I'm going to die!_

That was the last thing that flashed across his vision before pain exploded inside him and he smashed into the ground, his mind slipping into blissful unconsciousness…

**Hope you enjoyed! Review!**


	4. Chapter 3

Jay awoke to find his whole body screaming in pain. He tried to move, but the agony gripped his chest and tore at his arms. Panic swept through him.

_I'm broken! _He tried to cry out for help, but a soft voice silenced him.

"Hush, little one." Warm breath stirred his hair, and a gentle hand touched his arm comfortingly. Jay figured that it must be Leaf, but confusion played in his mind. If it was Leaf, the healer's voice sounded strange, younger and softer. The boy eventually came to the conclusion that the throbbing in head was distorting the sound, and tried to settle, wincing at the slight stabs of pain that shot through his limbs as he tried to move.

Jay knew that he was probably in the healer's room on the lower floor of the house, he could feel cool air sweeping in from the open window and the soft quilt brushed against his face. He would have batted it away if he didn't hurt so much. The air was thick with the smell of herbs, and Jay instinctively began to sort the tangy scents from the bitter and the sour ones, distinguishing each herb, trying to occupy his mind. The first smell that stood out to him was Elder, which he recognised from when he, Lion and Holly had the flu the year before after playing barefoot in the snow, then the tangy smell of blackberries, mainly from when he ate them as food, but he also reminded himself of the time Leaf had given them to Fox and Ice when they had sore throats. Narrowing his eyes, he wondered to himself.

_Where are Holly and Lion? _He couldn't hear them breathing beside him, or feel their warmth, and he panicked, writhing in the quilt, thrashing side to side despite the pain.

"Lie still little one." The soothing voice came back, and Jay snapped his eyes open, a gasp rising in his throat as he realised he could see.

_I must be dreaming… _He trailed off and looked at the person crouched in front of him. She didn't look much older than seventeen, and her outline was jumbled and hazy, seeming to drift into smoke, flickering lightly as she moved, but Jay could just make out her light, flowing brown clothes, and the Thunderclan pendant hung around her neck, but next to in lay a star pendant, glinting softly in the light. Her eyes were large and pale, but sparkled with a deep wisdom, beyond her years, and her face was gentle and youthful, a dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose, reddish-brown hair braided with feathers, hanging around her face and neck. She smiled at Jay, flashing white teeth.

"Don't look so frightened, little one." She told him gently.

"You're safe."

"What about Holly and Lion?" Jay questioned the girl, and she gave a light chuckle.

"Do I look like I would hurt them? They are safe too." With that, the young girl began to touch the parts of his body, somehow knowing where the worst pain was, and the spots that her hands touched flooded with heat, until he was warm all over.

"Drink now, precious." Urged the girl, moving a cup into Jay's hands and motioning for him to drink. Cautiously, Jay raised the carved wooden cup to his lips and took a sip of the water. It was cool, sweet and tasted like liquid starlight. Eyelids drooping, the grey-haired boy nestled deeper into the quilt and closed his eyes, letting sleep come to him.

* * *

oOo

* * *

When Jay woke up, the girl was gone, but his limbs ached less, some of the warm feeling lingering, giving the boy the feeling that it may not have just been a dream.

"You're awake." Leaf's voice startled him, and he blinked his eyes open, disappointed as he saw only darkness. Snapping his other senses back into order, he swivelled his head around to face the direction of the healer's voice, feeling her flinch slightly as he trained his icy gaze on her.

"Where is the other girl?" he asked, still slightly groggy.

"What other girl?" Leaf seemed surprised, and Jay could feel it emanating in waves from her.

"The one that brought me water." Jay recalled the girl's clothing and eyes, and described her to Leaf.

"She was about seventeen, and she had reddish-brown hair and pale brown hair. She was wearing a Thunderclan pendant, and she had feathers in her hair." The shock coming from Leaf intensified, and Jay flinched, wondering if he had said something wrong.

"Did she have pale brown eyes?" Leaf questioned, and Jay stiffened under the quilt. _How did she know?_ The boy nodded sharply, but winced as pain shot down his neck.

"You'll be sore for a while," Cautioned the healer "But you were lucky that you didn't break any bones." There was a rustling sound as Leaf stood up, then the light ripple of water. Jay felt the healer place something cool and smooth by his hands.

"Have a drink." Prompted Leaf, but Jay narrowed his eyes angrily, forcing the cup back towards the female.

"I told you! The girl gave me a drink!" Leaf moved the cup away, and lent forwards, curiosity radiating from her.

"Tell me about the girl." Jay felt uneasy, worrying that he had done something wrong. He was puzzled by the sudden tension in Leaf's body, and the way her fingers drummed anxiously on the floorboards.

"I-I've never seen her before, but she was wearing a Thunderclan pendant, and she was in your room, so I thought she was safe." Leaf sighed softly, a small, barely recognisable sound.

"The person you saw was Dapple, one of our ancestors." Jay's eyes widened.

"Y-you m-mean like in Starclan? I…..I'm not dead, am I?" Panic flared in the boy's chest at the prospect, but he was reassured by swift words from Leaf.

"No. It must have been a dream. Starclan works in its own ways. You should thank them that you are alive. You could have easily died from a fall like that. You're lucky you aren't badly hurt!"

"I feel hurt enough…" Grumbled Jay, and Leaf snapped back from the pile of herbs she had begun to bundle together, anger sparking around her, crackling in the air.

"It's your own stupid fault! If you hadn't gone and left the camp, you wouldn't be in this mess. You especially Jay!" The last comment stung the most, and the boy staggered to his feet, ignoring the pain, and bunched his hands into fists, face contorted in rage.

"It's not fair!" He snapped, heart racing in his chest.

"I can do just as much as Holly and Lion can!"

"_None_ of you should have been out of camp!" Argued Leaf, her anger fading into irritation.

"Those city-dwellers could have caught you and taken you away! You're lucky you weren't too far from camp!" Jay lifted his chin defiantly.

"We were trying to protect the clan!" the healer sighed.

"And one day you will, but now you need to do as you're told. Holly and Lion have been in big trouble with Bramble and Flame." Anxiety suddenly flooded Jay, and he widened his eyes at Leaf.

"Y-y-you don't think Flame will delay our apprenticeship, do you?" Leaf put her arm comfortingly around the boy's arm, but stood still in solemn silence. The worry burning inside Jay's chest intensified.

"He's said something, hasn't he!" he wailed, suddenly upset.

"Tell me! Tell me if he's going to!" Leaf sighed softly and turned to face Jay. The boy flinched away, scared about what she was going to say.

"Dear Jay, you know you'll never be a normal apprentice like Holly or Lion." She said it gently, but it felt like a knife had pierced Jay in the chest. He shrugged the healer's arm away from his shoulder, and began to stalk towards the exit to the den, limping to ease the pain in his footsteps. Leaf called out to him, dismayed.

"Jay…. I thought you understood-" Jay silenced her with a vicious glare over his shoulder.

"Understood what? That I'll never be good enough to fight? That I'm nothing but a burden? The poor little blind boy who can't do anything?" He could sense the shock coming from Leaf at the bitterness in his voice.

"It's not that…. There are other ways to serve your clan than being a warrior." Jay barely heard what the brown-haired female was saying.

"Just shut up!" he snapped, rage flowing through him.

"Shut up and just accept that you think I'm worthless!" His hands met the bead curtain that masked the entrance to the treatment room, and he tried to force his way through it, but let out an angry moan as his wrists became tangled in it.

"Stop, Jay." Instinctively, the boy stopped struggling and whipped his head towards the voice.

"You described Dapple to me perfectly. Have you always been able to see in dreams?" Jay flinched away, embarrassed.

"I-I guess…"

"What do you see?"

"It depends…" Jay felt impatient. The stupid, bright world in his dreams was nothing compared to the explosion of smells and sounds that his other senses brought him in his waking life.

"Now tell me what herbs I used to treat you." Narrowing his eyes, Jay shook his hands loose from the beads, smiling lightly at the smooth, clinking sounds they made as they fell back into place. He raised his arm and sniffed lightly at the paste smoothed over it, and dipped a finger in, deducing its components from the texture and scent it had, applying his collected knowledge of the herbs to identify them.

"Calendula for the scratches, Comfrey, I think, for the bruises…" Jay trailed away at the feeling of Leaf's gaze on him.

"You have a good memory for plants." Commented the healer, seemingly impressed.

"There are other ways to help your clan, Jay. A Healer, for example." Jay stiffened in horror.

"A Healer?!" He spat, new rage racing through him as he spun to face Leaf, eyes burning with cold anger.

_Who would want to be a Healer?! Always stinking of herbs and having to deal with bad-smelling wounds?!_ Jay shuddered at the thought.

"You would be my apprentice." Stated Leaf, and the rage inside Jay exploded, ripping out across his body.

"I don't want anything to do with being a Healer! I don't want to live a half-life, stuck inside with the boring elders and the whining babies! I want to be a _warrior_! I want to be like Bramble and Flame! I want to have a life!" He whirled away from the Healer, tears of rage streaming down his face as he gave a final glance over his shoulder.

"I hate being blind! I wish I had never been born!"

**Hope you enjoyed! Review!**


	5. Chapter 4, Part 1

Holly sat in the garden where Bramble had left her. The sun was just sinking below the treeline, casting ragged shadows on the grass and walls of the house. Lion sat beside her, his face edged with the golden haze of the sunset, shivering lightly in the cool air. Suddenly, the back door moved open slightly, and Holly saw Jay, steadying himself against the doorframe. Glancing beside her, Holly looked sadly at the stick that once guided her brother lying shattered into three pieces in the grass. Suddenly, Lion elbowed her, and she looked up sharply.

"Jay's out!" Exclaimed the ginger-haired boy, and Holly smiled.

"I saw. I'm glad he's okay." Lion nodded, and watched as Jay, flicking his hair from his eyes agitatedly, stumbled back into the house.

"Leaf must be keeping him a bit longer." Mused Holly, but shuddered as she remembered what was yet to come. She and Lion still had to face Flame. Glancing around apprehensively, she surveyed the area of the garden, taking in Dusky lounging on the ledge above the gathering-room window, soaking up the last of the sunlight. She spotted Dust sitting just inside the doorway, chatting to Snow. The warrior looked up and smiled as his apprentice Hazel walked past, snacking on a handful of warm chestnuts, trotting happily over to where her siblings Berry and Mouse were already eating by the oak tree in the corner of the garden. Holly caught Mouse's eye as he looked up from chewing on a small slice of meat, and the teenager gave her a sympathetic look before turning back to slap Berry's hand away from his food. Holly lifted her chin a little higher, trying not to show her terrified state, showing that she could take her punishment like a true warrior.

Glancing up as she heard a noise, she saw Sorrel, a bowl of soup gripped steadily in her hand, climbing out of the window to the warriors den and onto the ledge next to the one Dusky had apparently fallen asleep on, handing the soup to Bracken, who was already sitting there. Curious, Holly strained to listen to the conversation the two were having.

"How are you?" Sorrel asked, and Bracken replied in a hoarse voice, still breathless from his recent bout of flu.

"Better. I'll be fine in a few days. Birch has recovered already, thanks to Leaf." Sorrel nodded, seemingly relieved.

"I'm glad you're not in the healing room anymore. I missed you." Holly looked away in disgust as the female planted a quick kiss on her mate's cheek, then looked back as Bracken replied.

"Leafpool needed the room for Jay." Sorrel nodded.

"The poor mite. Do you think he'll be okay?" Holly felt a surge of irritation and glared at the ground. Jay had been just as eager to chase the city-dwellers, but he was being fussed over it Leaf's den, whereas her and Lion had to sit out in the garden for the whole clan to make a spectacle of. She gave a small snort of anger, and Lion looked at her, concern in his eyes.

"Did you sit on a thorn?" he asked, and Holly folded her arms, glaring at him.

"No! It's just not fair!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "We wouldn't have been in so much trouble if Jay hadn't tried to climb the drainpipe! Why does he have to act like he can do everything, then act so _helpless!_" Throwing her hands to the ground, Holly leant back, and sighed, staring up at the colour-stained sky, dimming in the fading light. Lion made a sound of agreement.

"We shouldn't have taken him. We wouldn't be in the mess we're in now." Holly laughed.

"Can you imagine the fuss he would have made if we didn't take him? He's so… _infuriating!"_ But then, an image of Jay, seeking out the city-dwellers, leading them through the forest, volunteering to crawl under the thorns, throwing the rocks, stabbing the city-dweller in the hand, the look of pure determination on his face, and guilt swept over her.

He could have died.

The thought stabbed through her like a dagger. Losing Jay would be like losing her arm or her leg. Sighing ruefully, she looked over at Lion.

"None of us should have gone…"

"I wish you had realized that earlier!" Holly whirled around at the sound of a voice behind her, and winced at the sight of Flame, leaning over her, a stern expression on his face. Holly shrunk back even further at the sight of Bramble and Squirrel stood behind the leader, anger in their father's eyes, disappointment in their mother's. She stared down at her paws, recalling the disastrous events of the attack on the city-dwellers. Her and Lion had ran into camp just after Jay, and Thorn's patrol had arrived just in time to force the city-dwellers from the garden, trying to persuade them that Jay had meant no harm. Bramble had also come back to camp to see the city-dweller leaving, and had questioned Holly, but her heart had been hammering too hard and her word heaving too fast for her to speak. Everyone had stared at her, eyes full of scorn and disappointment, and tears had pricked at her eyes.

But that wasn't the worst part.

At one side of the garden, she had seen Leaf and Snow, crouched on the ground, murmuring amongst themselves, voices low and grave. Fern had sat beside them, letting out a low moaning sound, and between them, was Jay, his arms splayed out at unnatural angles, eyes closed, stick shattered on the ground next to him. She could remember the world going numb as she had ran forwards, heart pounding in her ears, everything around her blurring into insignificance. She almost wished for the same, numbing feeling now, as everywhere she went, she heard whispers and scorning looks. Shuddering, Holly leant up against Lion for support, dragging herself back to reality, flinching at the unwavering harshness of her parent's eyes.

"Jay is going to recover," Flame spoke first.

"I know." Holly replied, tilting her head to look the ginger-haired male in the eyes. "We saw him-" Flame silenced her with a steely glare and went on.

"But we only just managed to convince the city-dwellers that you meant no harm. We were in real danger, do you realise that?" Bramble stepped forwards, choppy brown hair falling over his eyes, but not quite concealing the spark of anger that flickered within them.

"What possessed you to leave the hollow?" he demanded. Flame narrowed his eyes.

"I know these are your children," He warned "But I will deal with this." Squirrel clenched her fists, white showing along her knuckles. Holly guessed that there were a few sharp words she wished to share with them.

"We only wanted to help the clan!" Holly protested, and Flame's calm demeanour slipped, the air seeming to explode around him.

"Then do as you're told!" He snapped. "What if Jay had died?! How would that have helped the clan?!" The ferocity in the leader's voice scared Holly, and she shuffled closer to Lion, interlinking her fingers with his in an attempt to comfort herself. Still, Flame pressed on, his eyes flickering with a cold fire that reminded Holly of a look that would likely be found on a wild animal.

"You attacked the city-dwellers, when this could have been handled with words! For all we know, they could be out there now, calling the Police!" Holly bowed her head. She knew exactly what calling the Police would mean. They would be snatched from their home and cooped up in tiny rooms with no forest air and meals made of chemicals. Shuddering at the thought, she spoke in a tiny voice, head lowered.

"We're sorry…" She whispered.

"We just thought that if we could-" Lion began, but Flame's fury still raged on, and he interrupted him with an angry glare.

"If you had _thought_ at all, you would have let the warriors deal with things! You've just made everything worse!" Flame clenched his fists and his hands inched closer to the twin daggers that rested by his sides. "Instead, we have one badly injured child, and the threat of being evicted from our home!" Holly looked guiltily up to the nursery window. She could hear Fern inside, singing a lullaby for Fox and Ice, trying to settle them to sleep. When she turned back, Squirrel seemed even more frustrated, passing her weight from foot to foot. Flame nodded to her, a signal that she could speak.

"I'm so disappointed in you both!" She burst out, flaming red hair swirling around her shoulders in a bold curtain of colour.

"What about Jay?!" Lion objected, a scowl upon his face. "He came up with the idea in the first place!"

"We will speak with Jay when he has recovered." Bramble cautioned. "Right now, it's you two that we're concerned about! You seem to have no more sense than a newborn baby!"

"A-are you going to stop us becoming apprentices?" Lion asked in a tiny voice, suddenly appearing afraid. Holly's breath caught in her throat. Would her father really do that?

"If it was my decision, I would make you wait another moon, but it's up to Flame to decide." The clan leader narrowed his eyes again.

"I'm not going to decide now. Go back to the nursery, and think _properly_ about what you've done. If I hear just one word of trouble, then maybe you aren't mature enough to become apprentices yet."

"We won't cause trouble." Lion promised, brightening up slightly.

"Holly?" Flame prompted, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"I won't do anything to stop me becoming an apprentice." She vowed, meaning every single word.

"Very well." Flame nodded in farewell, and walked away from the two children, before scrambling into a tree at the opposite end of the garden, perching amongst its sunset-tinged branches, outline reduced to nothing but a silhouette, bold and dark against the sky. Left alone with Bramble and Squirrel, Holly felt even more nervous in the silence.

"I-I really am sorry…" she ventured, waiting anxiously for what would either be sharp, scathing words, or solemn acceptance.

_Please let them understand…_

**A/N: As you have probably noticed, I've split this chapter in half, as it is a really long one, and I just can't be bothered to write it all in one go! Sorry, but you'll have to wait to see what happens! Also, as an answer to a review from Typholius, I'm not exactly copying out the text; I'm taking the basic idea of what is going on, then writing it out in my own way, switching the cat terms and places for human! I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review! **

**Storm signing out! **


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